Time Limits

 

Your idea of what is thrilling and beautiful about life has a time limit. Human proclivity runs its course in sad and tragic ways. Until you understand these verses, My only hope is in your love and faithfulness, you have yet to know the deepest truths about what is thrilling and beautiful.

Psalms 40:11-12 (TLB) 11 O Lord, don’t hold back your tender mercies from me! My only hope is in your love and faithfulness. 12 Otherwise I perish, for problems far too big for me to solve are piled higher than my head. Meanwhile my sins, too many to count, have all caught up with me, and I am ashamed to look up. My heart quails within me.

6/4/2025

Don't Let the Sun Go Down

Most know how important these verses are to marriage, but it is important in all aspects of life. It is perfectly normal to get angry but you must face the anger; it may resolve quickly, or over time. Anger must keep dissipating or it will ruin every good thing about you. 

Ephesians 4:26-27 (TLB) 26 If you are angry, don’t sin by nursing your grudge. Don’t let the sun go down with you still angry—get over it quickly; 27 for when you are angry, you give a mighty foothold to the devil.

3/30/2025

Eden's Snake

There are times when you are confident in God’s love. Then it seems he is nowhere to be found. This isn’t because God leaves you. Day-to-day affairs accumulate and can overwhelm, yes, but nothing can separate you from God’s love, except lies from Eden's snake.

Romans 8:38-39 (TLB)  38 For I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can’t, and life can’t. The angels won’t, and all the powers of hell itself cannot keep God’s love away. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, 39 or where we are—high above the sky, or in the deepest ocean—nothing will ever be able to separate us from the love of God demonstrated by our Lord Jesus Christ when he died for us.

3/23/2025

The Thief Comes

When nonbelievers stop chasing the opinions of others, status, fun and thrills, they find they were hoodwinked about what they truly needed. Like a thief, the enemy takes and takes and does not give.  Knowing Jesus, his message, and his love, gives life in all its fullness.

John 10:10 (TLB) 10 The thief’s purpose is to steal, kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.

3/16/2025

Humility before God

 

Some only get to understand the power of God when their lives are in ruins. When you are at the point to cry out to God, there is some kind of certainty within you that he alone has the power to do the impossible.  This is humility and it is the first step to trusting God for all you need. 

James 4:10 (NIV) 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

3/9/2025

The Truth about Lying

 

You can skirt by lying. It seems easier to say what will work. But each time you do, it is a breach of relationship. Lying is feeble because you do it to avoid conflicts that need to be faced. Stand up and face conflicts. Relationships must be based in telling the truth.

Ephesians 4:25 (MSG) 25 What this adds up to, then, is this: no more lies, no  more pretense. Tell your neighbor the truth. In Christ’s body we’re all connected to each other, after all. When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself.

3/2/2025

Behavior Standards

 

A believer’s behavior comes from standards in the Bible. If not, something is very wrong. A panoply of sins in Romans 1:28-32 (TLB) and 2 Timothy are very specific, but the theme is consistent throughout the Bible. These behaviors serve no one. Sin is destructive and no one wins. 

2 Timothy 3:1-5 (TLB) 3 You may as well know this too, Timothy, that in the last days it is going to be very difficult to be a Christian. 2 For people will love only themselves and their money; they will be proud and boastful, sneering at God, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful to them, and thoroughly bad. 3 They will be hardheaded and never give in to others; they will be constant liars and troublemakers and will think nothing of immorality. They will be rough and cruel, and sneer at those who try to be good. 4 They will betray their friends; they will be hotheaded, puffed up with pride, and prefer good times to worshiping God. 5 They will go to church, yes, but they won’t really believe anything they hear. Don’t be taken in by people like that.

2/23/2025

Lord, help!

 

This world is full of homeless, addicts, very sad stories, criminals and those who can hide their membership in these groups. They are exiled in plain sight of God. He has been with them all along and will gather each one up when asked. God is all loving-kindness and goodness.

Psalm 107:3-9 (TLB) 3 He brought the exiles back from the farthest corners of the earth. 4 They were wandering homeless in the desert, 5 hungry and thirsty and faint. 6 “Lord, help!” they cried, and he did! 7 He led them straight to safety and a place to live. 8 Oh, that these men would praise the Lord for his loving-kindness, and for all of his wonderful deeds! 9 For he satisfies the thirsty soul and fills the hungry soul with good.

2/16/2025

The Darkness and Shadow of Death

 

Until you cry out to God, you reside in the darkness and shadow of death.  You still think your solutions to your dire situation will work.  Self-reliance is with God, not without him. He rescues you when asked and gives you what you need to break self-inflicted chains. 

Psalm 107:13-14 (TLB) 13 Then they cried to the Lord in their troubles, and he rescued them! 14 He led them from the darkness and shadow of death and snapped their chains.

2/9/2025

Happy is the Man

“But happy is the man who has the God of Jacob as his helper…”  God’s people see things differently than those who do not know him. Men are fallible, God is not.  Trusting him for all things can be a struggle, but something worth struggling for.

Psalm 146:3-8 (TLB) 3 Don’t look to men for help; their greatest leaders fail; 4 for every man must die. His breathing stops, life ends, and in a moment all he planned for himself is ended. 5 But happy is the man who has the God of Jacob as his helper, whose hope is in the Lord his God— 6 the God who made both earth and heaven, the seas and everything in them. He is the God who keeps every promise, 7 who gives justice to the poor and oppressed and food to the hungry. He frees the prisoners 8 and opens the eyes of the blind; he lifts the burdens from those bent down beneath their loads. For the Lord loves good men. 9 He protects the immigrants and cares for the orphans and widows. But he turns topsy-turvy the plans of the wicked.

2/2/2025

7 Things God Hates

 

The 7 Things God Hates is a definitive listing of character traits from the pit of Hell. In corruption these traits are covered up or legalized for some, but not all. There is no peace and respect for one another when these traits predominate among the citizenry or leaders.

Proverbs 6:16-19 (TLB) 16-19 For there are six things the Lord hates—no, seven: haughtiness, lying, murdering, plotting evil, eagerness to do wrong, a false witness, sowing discord among brothers.

1/26/2025

My Grace is Sufficient

God gives you purpose and gifts. They may not be what YOU think they are or should be; it is what God put in you. He even covers weaknesses and handicaps.  He says, But I am with you; that is all you need. His grace is sufficient and it is better than any other option.

2 Corinthians 12:8-9 (TLB) 8 Three different times I begged God to make me well again. 9 Each time he said, “No. But I am with you; that is all you need. My power shows up best in weak people.” Now I am glad to boast about how weak I am; I am glad to be a living demonstration of Christ’s power, instead of showing off my own power and abilities.

1/19/2025

The Lord's Prayer - Part 5

 

All are tempted to sin and there is no end to the many ways it presents. It is wise to pray this verse each day. Everyone is at risk from the effects of evil. There is a universal need to seek God’s protection from temptation and the enemies of human souls.

Matthew 6:13 (NIV) And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

1/12/2025

The Lord's Prayer - Part 4

Forgiveness is a cornerstone of the Bible.  To forgive and be forgiven is a balm needed by all. God forgives as you acknowledge your wrong actions or thoughts. Jesus forgave those who tortured and killed him and with his example, you can forgive those who trespass against you.

Matthew 6:12 (NIV) And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

1/5/2025

The Lord's Prayer - Part 3

 

Jesus said several times that when you let God direct your ways, you will always have access to work and other means for food, shelter and clothing.  This part of the prayer affirms this promise. When you trust God and seek his ways, he sees to it your basic needs are met. 

Matthew 6:11 (NIV) 11 Give us today our daily bread.

12/29/2024

The Lord's Prayer - Part 2

 

This portion of the prayer calls you to desire God’s will over your own. You have to respect God first. You seek his will because he knows everything that is or will be.  On your own, you cannot know what God knows.  This is how God works. 

Matthew 6:10 (NIV) 10  your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

12/22/2024

The Lord's Prayer - Part 1

 

In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus instructs how to talk to God.  It begins by recognizing God as a Father and the Father of everyone and all that is. He is holy above all else and showing respect of his authority (also called “fearing God”), is the best way to begin prayer. 

Matthew 6:9 (NIV) 9 “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,

12/15/2024

God uses Elisha to Raise Boy from the Dead

 

These verses show how to trust God in your most dire times. The woman’s only son fell ill and died very quickly.  She said “It shall be well,” and then, “it is well.” It was, as she looked for Elisha and God used him to bring her son back to life.  No matter the trouble, it shall be well.

2 Kings 4: 18-26 (KJV) 18 And when the child was grown, it fell on a day, that he went out to his father to the reapers. 19 And he said unto his father, My head, my head. And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother. 20 And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died. 21 And she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him, and went out. 22 And she called unto her husband, and said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men, and one of the asses, that I may run to the man of God, and come again. 23 And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him to day? it is neither new moon, nor sabbath. And she said, It shall be well. 24 Then she saddled an ass, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward; slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee. 25 So she went and came unto the man of God to mount Carmel. And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, yonder is that Shunammite: 26 Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well.

12/8/2024

Mind your own Business

 

Living a quiet life, without guile, and seeking God’s ways, is the template to peace in your life. Letting God take care of whether others are in the right or wrong is what minding your own business means.  You never do better than when you are exactly where God has you.  

1 Thessalonians 4:11 (TLB)  11 This should be your ambition: to live a quiet life, minding your own business and doing your own work, just as we told you before.

12/1/2024

Sexual Sin

 

Sexual sin has been normalized by making it appear trivial and using delightful fictional characters in media who make their way into the hearts of the public. The Bible is one of the few voices challenging it.  Here is one explanation of why sexual sin is not trivial. 

1 Corinthians 6:18 (MSG) 16-20 There’s more to sex than mere skin on skin. Sex is as much spiritual mystery as physical fact. As written in Scripture, “The two become one.” Since we want to become spiritually one with the Master, we must not pursue the kind of sex that avoids commitment and intimacy, leaving us more lonely than ever—the kind of sex that can never “become one.” There is a sense in which sexual sins are different from all others. In sexual sin we violate the sacredness of our own bodies, these bodies that were made for God-given and God-modeled love, for “becoming one” with another. Or didn’t you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don’t you see that you can’t live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body.

11/28/2024